>> tonight, battle for libya. u.s.-led attacks and enforcing a no-fly zone intensifies for a second day. but the pentagon says, muammar qaddafi is not a target. i'm russ mitchell. also tonight, on the ground, a defiant qaddafi shoots back bowing a long war as rebels take rounds in benghazi. >> anxiety rises in quake ravaged japan as food and water show signs of nuclear contamination. >>> and staying connected, technology provide's lifeline for students trying to find loved ones in japan's disaster zone. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> good evening. a second wave of u.s.-led air attacks against libya is under way tonight as b2 bombers from the first wave return to their base in missouri late tonight. on the ground, u.s. aircraft attack libyan forces south of benghazi for the first time while muammar qaddafi remained defiant, calling nations allied against him the party of satan and vowing to fight inch by inch for his country. we have correspondents on the ground in libya and in washington with the latest and we begin with national se

suppress his air defences. >> reporter: the secretaries also made clear u.s. policy that moammar qaddafi must go is not the aim of the current mission. >> one of the things that i think is central is you don't, in a military campaign, set as a mission or a goal something you're not sure you can achieve. >> reporter: the critics on capitol hill say the administration's policy lacks clarity. >> i think there should have been a plan for what our objectives were, a debate as to why this was in our vital interest before we committed military forces to libya rd today nato assumed full command of the mission. the president says america's role will be limited. >> we're not putting any ground forces into libya. >> reporter: and that other union heaveal in the middle east like the recent bloody crack down in syria will be looked at case by case. >> each of these, we are looking at and an liz will-- analyzing carefully. but we can't draw some general, sweeping conclusions about the entire region. >> reporter: and president obama makes his pitch monday evening in a televised national address

struggling to contain the threat of multiple meltdowns. flooding across large parts of the u.s. force some residents out of their homes and on to higher ground. and pushed out. the state department spokesman quits after causing the treatment of the suspected wikileaks leaker ridiculous. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: and good evening. we are getting a clearer picture of the death and devastation in japan caused by friday's massive earthquake and tsunami. here's the latest. japan has now upgraded the quake to a magnitude 9. more than 1400 people are confirmed dead, with fears the toll could surge past 10,000. authorities say there is a risk of another nuclear reactor explosion, but u.s. officials say there is no radiation threat to the west coast. dent all along the we have correspondents all along the earthquake zone tonight and we begin with ben tracey in tokyo. >> reporter: the port town of minamisanriku on the northeastern coast is nearly wiped out and in the area near there authorities now fear 10,000 people may be dead. when

job. so i'm currently looking for another job because because of this. >> reporter: the u.s. stored supply of oil called the strategic petroleum reserve contains 72-- 727 million barrels, enough to keep nation powered for a couple of months. those who want oil released from the reserves now say it would calm spiking gas prices so an economic recovery isn't threatened. after hurricane katrina, 30 million barrelses were released. oil prices dropped 3.7%. during the first gulf war, 34 million barrels were released and in one day prices dropped 33.4%. but some economists say the oil reserves should be saved for a true emergency and this isn't it. >> i think it's premature to open up the strategic petroleum reserve. i don't think it's going it to make a big difference with respect to prices. and i think at this point we can digest these prices. >> reporter: maybe so, but it doesn't go down easy. >> as a students's kind of tough to be able to pay the bills and pay these kind of gas prices. >> reporter: right now the average price of gas is still 61 cents below the record set in july 2008